


Not As Planned

by orphan_account



Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies), James Bond - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-13
Updated: 2013-01-13
Packaged: 2017-11-25 08:35:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/637041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takes place during Casino Royale. Le Chiffre had another client whose money he lost - and this particular client prefers to deal with his problems in interesting ways. Will eventually be multi-chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not As Planned

“I’m so glad you could meet with me on such short notice,” Silva said.

“I always have time to spare for such a prolific client,” said Le Chiffre.

Le Chiffre’s constitution was impressive enough that to anyone else it might look like nothing was wrong. But Silva could detect the slight quiver in his voice, the twitch of his fingers as Le Chiffre stopped himself from doing anything so obvious as clenching his fists. Of course, Silva was aware that the money he’d given the banker for safekeeping had been lost. He kept tabs on Le Chiffre’s activity and knew he had some…unauthorized business going on behind the scenes with the money he was supposed to protect.

This was why Silva only invested a sum that most people considered quite luxurious, but that he considered paltry. All money was paltry when one could simply see what they wanted and take it, wasn’t it? Silva has already made the money he left with Le Chiffre back months ago. Now, he was in it mostly for the sake of toying with the unlucky gentleman, and such a game as that was priceless.

“Of course,” Silva said, “I was going to offer you a drink, but I imagine you are in a bit of a hurry?”

“Of course not,” Le Chiffre said, “Take as much time as you need.”

“Wonderful. What will it be, then?” Silva said, “I have pretty much everything.”

Silva hadn’t dragged Le Chiffre all the way out to his island base – that was too much of an inconvenience, and Silva didn’t feel the need to disclose his most private location as of yet. Where they were was a nice place: hidden, well-stocked and filled with fancy, if not a bit gaudy décor. Silva hadn’t picked out any of the furniture himself, he didn’t even own the place; it was simply a convenient location to borrow as he saw fit.

“Just something light, if you please,” Le Chiffre said, “I like to keep a clear head, you know?”

Le Chiffre wouldn’t say he was a lightweight, but he was. Truthfully, he didn’t drink much, and most of what he did drink could be described as ‘girly’, so he rarely chose his actual beverage of choice in the company of others.

“Very well,” Silva said, taking out a light wine from one of the cabinets and pouring it in Le Chiffre’s glass. His own glass remained empty.

“Are you going to have some?” Le Chiffre asked, knowing at least that it was impolite to start drinking alone.

“No,” Silva said with a wave of his hand, “I don’t drink during business, I think it’s bad form.”

A lie, but Silva wanted to see how far he could push. Le Chiffre just nodded, took a small sip out of politeness, and put the glass back down.

“So, what is it you wanted to discuss with me?” Le Chiffre said, changing the conversation to something that was (at least currently) a little less awkward.

“I’ve come upon some trouble. An investment I made went wrong and I lost quite a bit of money on it,” Silva said, which was another lie and only his attempt at mirroring Le Chiffre’s situation.

“I’m sorry to hear that. How soon are you going to be needing the money?” Le Chiffre asked.

His tone still barely faltered, but the fact that he asked ‘how soon’ was something Silva took as worry.

Le Chiffre adjusted his pose and then, seeming to realize his mistake, added “Because I want this to be as convenient as possible. If you have an emergency I will make it top priority.”

A decent save, one which would have fooled your average thug or terrorist. Not, however, enough to fool a previous agent of MI6. The previous agent would act fooled for now, but Le Chiffre would soon know that he never was.

“Quite soon, I’m afraid. A day,” Silva said, looking down at his empty glass but still focusing on Le Chiffre – who seemed to flinch a bit as he said that – out of the corner of his eye, “…Or maybe a week. Yes, within a week will do. Don’t interrupt your business on account of my loss.”

Le Chiffre visibly relaxed at that, just a slight slump of his shoulders, “Of course. It will not take long.”

“Good. I did a little research on you before hiring you, and I knew you were the dependable sort. I am sorry for disclosing my troubles with you, but I lost someone else’s money in that gamble I made and I’m afraid the disadvantaged party will not hesitate to execute me if he found out.”

“A terrible situation. But you have nothing to worry about. You will have your money soon,” Le Chiffre said.

“I know,” Silva said, pausing briefly, “You know, if I were in my partner’s place right now, and someone had lost my money, I wouldn’t even hesitate to put a bullet in them. Right now. And birds of a feather flock together, after all. So, you can understand why I’m afraid for my life,” Silva said.

“I understand,” said Le Chiffre, sweat pooling on his brow.

Silva had gone from being subtle to dropping obvious enough hints that he was just waiting to see Le Chiffre’s breaking point, although he couldn’t hold his anticipation off any longer.

“Yes, it’s quite a shame, then, that I am in the presence of someone who has lost money I entrusted to them,” Silva said, taking a small pistol from inside his coat pocket, “And that I am currently capable of exercising deadly force against him.”

Le Chiffre stood up rapidly, knocking his wine glass over and holding his hands up in front of him as a pitiful attempt to calm Silva down, “I didn’t lie to you, I swear. There is a way to get the money. I’ll get it for you. I will have it soon.”

Silva’s expression didn’t change. Le Chiffre stood, his knees weak, his breathing rapid. A trickle of blood began to make its way down his face, but he didn’t dare reach into his pocket for his handkerchief. Silva shrugged, and pulled the trigger.

Le Chiffre recoiled back, losing his balance and falling onto the floor. There was a click, and nothing more. No bullet fired.

Silva laughed, “Begging is a good look for you. You should try it more often. Oh, well, you’ve convinced me. I’ll spare you.”

Le Chiffre just sat on the floor, his breathing still heavy, mouth gaping.

“What you should say right now is ‘Thank you, Mr. Silva’,” he said, “And don’t get blood on the carpet, please.”

Le Chiffre gained his composure enough to get the handkerchief out and dab at his cheek before the droplet of blood made its way to his jawline. The only words he could manage were: “How come?”

“That doesn’t sound like a ‘thank you’ to me,” Silva said, “Why do you care ‘how come’? I spared your life when goodness knows I did not have to. You ought to be having a celebration right here and now. Stand up, sit on your chair.”

Le Chiffre complied, and once more tried to reassure Silva, “I will get the money back, I swear.”

Silva waved his hand dismissively, “Enough talk about financials. It’s boring me. And, quite frankly, my interest is the only thing keeping you alive right now. Well, that, and what you can do for me.”

Le Chiffre started to speak as if he were going to protest, but simply looked towards the floor instead, silent.

“You look uncomfortable. Is something wrong? Or are you still shaking over that blank I shot at you?” Silva asked, reaching over and (ever so gently) placing two fingers under Le Chiffre’s chin and tilting his head upwards, “You should look someone in the eyes when they are speaking to you.”

“I apologize,” Le Chiffre said.

“You didn’t answer my question. Come on, we’re all friends here, aren’t we?”

“I am in charge of my own operation. I am grateful that you spared my life – and you will not regret it – but I am not used to…owing a favor,” Le Chiffre said.

“You like to be your own boss, hm? I feel the same way, and I can respect that,” Silva said, giving Le Chiffre a condescending pat on the cheek before drawing his hand back, “But if you do not wish to be in debt to someone, I would suggest that in the future you do not take actions which would cause you to become indebted.”

“I know,” Le Chiffre said, “It won’t happen again.”

“Oh, I know it won’t. I’m not leaving any more money with you. However, that does not mean we won’t have any future business together. I enjoy your company, somewhat. And you have other skills, do you not?” Silva said.

“Such as?” Le Chiffre asked.

“Hiding. You’re good enough at that,” Silva said, “Not that I couldn’t track you now, because I assure you I could. I know a lot about what you’ve done. I know you have a habit of gambling with other people’s money. But I get up to a certain point in your history and you just – vanish. You have plenty of aliases – all of which I am aware of, thank you – but you seem to have no real name, no family, no birthplace I can pinpoint to any accuracy other than having a decent guess of a couple countries.”

“That is intentional,” Le Chiffre said, “I would never be hired if I could be tracked by the government so easily.”

“I am not the government,” Silva said, “I know more about most word governments than they probably know about themselves. I can get into any system in the world. If you had a history, I could find it. But you’ve covered your past so well – that has never happened to me before. I’ve never hit the metaphorical brick wall. Plenty of people in our line of work use aliases, but I’ve never failed to find someone’s true identity. Do your parents even know you are alive anymore? Your family? Are they dead?”

Le Chiffre said nothing. He knew that any little clue about his previous personal life might be just the clue Silva needed to find him out, and perhaps lose what interest he held. Silva was a bit of an enigma himself, but Le Chiffre did know that Silva did not hesitate to kill what he no longer had use for.

“Not saying anything. Clever,” Silva said, “Frustrating. But clever.”

“This is it,” Le Chiffre said.

“Hm?” Silva replied.

“You mentioned my true identity. This is it. Whatever else there was has been left behind,” Le Chiffre said.

Silva stood up (and Le Chiffre did as well, finding it awkward to remain sitting while his companion stood), and paced towards the other side of the room, back towards Le Chiffre.

“No,” he said, “As much as some of us would like to believe we can leave everything else behind without a trace, it isn’t true. There is always something that remains. Some little giveaway. A tell, if that metaphor is more appropriate for you.”

“I have no attachments,” Le Chiffre said.

“Of course you would say that,” Silva said, turning towards him and approaching, closing the distance between them, “But you don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re just exceptionally good at hiding, even from yourself.”

Silva’s expression was stoic with just a hint of melancholy as he studied Le Chiffre’s face, running one of his fingers over the point where the scar over his eye ended. Quickly he cupped his hand around the back of Le Chiffre’s neck and pulled him into a kiss. It was not a rough kiss – if anything it was all too gentle, like a high school crush, that lasted only a few seconds. Le Chiffre did not breath the entire time, and he stood frozen like a deer in the headlights before stumbling back when he was released.

Silva laughed again, any hint of gloom gone, “You had the same reaction to the kiss as you did to the gun.”

Indeed he did, right down to the blood pooling in the corner of his eye, which he managed to catch and dab away this time before it got anywhere. He was not in any position to protest, and that was the excuse he gave himself for why he wasn’t. Instead, he avoided the subject and changed the topic: “What is it you want me to do?”

“It is about that little casino visit you’re planning,” Silva said, “And the man who cost you your investment to begin with.”


End file.
